Scottish UCAS applicants 2025 entry

[motheronthedancefloor]

i know there's a HE board but that's dominated by English parents/schools/unis.

I thought I'd start our own thread for Scottish parents of kids applying to UCAS this year. What are your kids applying for? Where are they applying?

I'll start!

DD is applying to primary teaching. Considering Glasgow, Strathclyde, and Stirling. We discussed UWS but its too far away to commute and as she'd be a young 17 (february born), I wouldn't feel comfortable with her so far away. She's academically capable, but in some ways still quite young.

She has BBBCC from S5 (bastard SQA and Higher HIstory). Doing 1 AH and 2 more HIghers this year. Qualifies for a contextual offer.

Personal statement draft all done. Teacher seems happy with it. She has work experience, did the Accerlerate Education challenge I think its called and is accepted onto Top Up. So her statement looks quite good.

What annoys me is that Strathclyde asked for something specific to be included in the personal statement but that's specific to Strathclyde and might not necessarily be accepted by other universities or what they want to see. Plus it doesn't seem to be mentioned on their entry requirements so other applicants may not know this for that particular course.

Also annoys me that they don't use UCAS Tariff points. That would make it so much easier as its not clear if DDs C grades are accepted or not.

DDs school will do the submissions in December. Then I'll probably post here like every day as an anxious mum or rather angry mum - why won't they give my DD a place? lol

yes inclusive practice teaching specialism. I'm over the moon. DD is so relieved as she was so stressed after such a difficult year.
Need to persuade her to accept it now as she's a bit nervous about not knowing anyone and how she will get there. 45 mins in the car (she's still learning and may not pass in time) but 2 hours by 3 trains.

Wahoo! Congrats to your DD.

@motheronthedancefloorhurrah! Congrats to your DD…

Fab news @motheronthedancefloor

Great news @motheronthedancefloor, and congrats to everyone else with offers in and good luck to those still waiting. Thanks to all of you, as lurking here has really cleared up the process for me. I wasn't even sure if they applied in S5 or S6, but seems we have a while yet as DD is in S4.

I have a question on doing Highers in S5 versus S6 if you don't mind me picking your brains. We're limited by a small rural school, so DD can only properly do 3 of her 5 Higher subjects next year because of timetable clashes. She's doing the 4th, but in an S4 class who will be learning Nat 5 stuff, and is doing an SCQF level 6 course for the fifth subject (says accredited for uni entry, but not sure how UCAS points will work) and pushing the 5th higher into S6. A bit worried now that someone mentioned having to do 5 Highers in one sitting. How common is that?

Great news @motheronthedancefloor!

thank you everyone, I think I was the last person on here to hear back!

@Issy422 probably best your DC does 3 highers in each year then, to maximise their chances. I dont think rural location is considered as a contextual criteria, although Strathclyde do encourage rural students to contact them during the application process.

Mine heard back from St Andrews - a withdrawn offer. I’ve never heard of that. Given if you don’t meet the qualifications (she did), your personal statement is rubbish (good enough for 4 other unis) and something else. She doesn’t mind, she had an offer for where she wanted.

I’ve never heard of a withdrawn offer. Do you know why they’ve done that?

It depends on the subject. Medicine requires five in one sitting. Other competitive subjects at higher ranking universities might look for it too. It would be a good idea to check entry requirements for her subject at her likely universities. You can also email their admissions departments.

Aberdeen do consider rurality for some subjects. If you are looking considering medicine or law and are in the appropriate area (Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Highlands, Orkney and Shetland) then it would be worth registering with their Reach program which includes rurality in their widening access criteria. Other universities do similar schemes in other area, and for other subjects, but I am not sure if they include rurality alone. But you might also qualify under other widening access criteria.

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/widening-access/reach/

Assuming she didn’t have to fulfil any additional criteria (eg provide evidence for widening access) then that seems very off.

I suppose another option in this time of cuts could be them withdrawing the course. But I hadn’t heard St As doing the sort of cuts some other universities are.

@Seriestwo I've never heard of that before and it sounds very unfair, more so if your DC wasn't holding any other offers. You should ask them for a reason, especially if it helps other potential applicants you could share the info with. My DD would have been devastated if something like that happened, do they not think of the poor young people!

DS has decided not to go to uni and going to college instead. Doing HND for two years then hopefully joining uni in third year all going well. Different route, same destination. As long as he's happy that's all that matters. He's had loads of health problems this past year so doesn't feel it's the right time for him yet.

Well done to others who have succeeded at getting the offers they were anticipating. It's been great reading this thread 👏

I know quite a few people who have done this. They also seemed to have been pleased with their choice (now graduated). I think too often going straight to university is considered the default option and alternatives not given the airing they deserve.

He should do what is right for him. Its not about the journey but the destination. DD's BF is doing an HNC and hopes to work his way up. My own DH is in the final year of his first degree in his mid 40s (and he already earns more than me with several degrees). Well done to your DS, he's done great.

@Seriestwo That is awful. Did you find out whether the course was withdrawn?

@Vettrianofan I went to uni with several people who came the HND route and they all did very well.

Thanks for the clarity @motheronthedancefloor and @Ginko. Apologies for not responding sooner, I've followed several weeks of a nasty respiratory virus with shingles.

We are not in the right geographic area for the Aberdeen programme, but we are in the 7th of the 8 rurality categories and, unless I change my job or the criteria changes between now and then, she will qualify for EMA.

It won't be medicine for DD as she hasn't done any sciences at Nat5. She's still at the point where her mind frequently changes, but currently she's aiming for design. Could change to music and it was law at one point. Design is the main sticking point for the Highers as Art and Design and D&M clash. Since Art is available at AH, but D&M isn't (at her school), D&M is the one that's been pushed into S6, even though it's the one she most needs. The SCQF level 6, Creative Thinking, is taught by same teachers though, designed by various universities and accredited by Napier, so hope that might be enough. Got to get through the Nat 5's first, starting tomorrow. 🤞

Good luck to everyone with their Highers and AHs and thank you for letting me gatecrash.

Well done and good luck to all the DC and thank you OP for starting this thread, I’m so glad I found it, it’s been really helpful not only for this DC but for my younger one when the time comes.

My DD has accepted her offer from Edinburgh. She really loved it on the Offer Holders Day but was still undecided between there and Glasgow, but after talking through her options with people way more knowledgeable than me, she opted for Scots Law instead of Common.

Now we just need to find out which accommodation she is being allocated - really hoping she gets one of her choices 🤞